Aaron Coley Returns To Ring April 5th in Redwood City, CA

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Aaron “Heavy Metal” Coley (8-0 5KOs) is all business. The 23 year-old light middleweight cut short one of his three workouts on the allotted day around lunchtime to conduct an interview about his upcoming April 5th fight at the Sports House in Redwood City, CA. “I want the toughest guy, period. They gave me names, I said give me the toughest.”

 Coley who has been inactive since his October 12th win over Mike Alexander explains that the time off has not been by choice, but rather a groin injury that he is just now fully recovered from. “In the last three weeks I just got back into hard training.” For Coley, though he wants to step it up both in activity and in competition. Though Coley, who runs a scrap and recycling yard in which his nickname “Heavy Metal” is derived from explains his business prowess side as well.

“I think the best should fight the best and you got to at some point, but I understand why it doesn’t happen [on the local level]. If it is a million dollar fight and you are getting paid $ 7,000, what’s the point? Let the fight happen down the road for the right sum of money.” Coley then remarked  “ I will fight a pig in a wig. I don’t care who you are, put them in front of me and I will beat them.”

Coley’s words echo a sense of confidence the kind that brings out the packed house for him whenever he fights. Coley has filled up Sacramento twice which is about 80 miles away from his native Hayward, CA. Coley on April 5th will have his first professional fight in the Bay Area and about 10 to 15 minutes away from his hometown. One can only imagine the type of crowd that will exist as Coley makes his entrance to the ring with head trainer Ben Bautista.

“I have been with Ben [Bautista] for about five years now, ever since the Olympic trials in 2008.” Ben Bautista, the trainer of Karim Mayfield, Ava Knight amongst others has long been a fixture in the bay area boxing scene and Coley explains that his confidence in the ring comes primarily from the training. “We go hard in training, we take it to the next level. So when Ben tell me that’s who I am fighting or that’s who I am sparring, I trust him.” It is the type of sparring that has led to Austin Trout tweeting about sparring Aaron Coley late last year.

Coley who fought only 20 amateur fights said the 2008 Olympic trials was a learning experience for him since he learned that guys with 100 plus fights were not actually better than him, but knew how to score points and fight with in the system of amateur boxing better than him. “I was in there with guys who had 100 or 200 fights and I was like this is it? This all they got?”

Coley whose runs a recycling and scrapyard when not in training camp explains things are good “we are not shutting down” Coley said with a laugh. “That’s very common, prices go up and then fluctuate due to China. It is like the price goes up prior to Chinese new year and drops afterwards.”  This same business sense Coley has brought over to the ring as Coley had hundreds of t-shirts for sale in October. “I credit my father for that, he always said make it a bigger situation, so credit goes to my father.”

Coley whom is known for giving guys tough work in the gym takes pride in the sentiment that some fighters have relied in privacy that he gives tough work in the gym. “I’m not a sparring partner, let’s get that clear, but I am honored that fighters who have been in with famous fighters, would single me out as one of the best guys they go in with.” Coley feels this experience with tough high caliber fighters  will fuel his debut headlining a card in the bay area and make for an exciting homecoming.

Aaron Coley returns April 5th “Battle On The Bay” at 3151 Edison Way, The Sports House in Redwood City, CA. For tickets and more information visit OPPBoxing.com